


Remnants of the Past

by Anboringday



Series: DedSec Tale Collection [3]
Category: Watch Dogs (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Dark Past, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Existential Crisis, Explicit Language, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Humor, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Psychological Trauma, References to Depression, deep thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 22:45:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12898434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anboringday/pseuds/Anboringday
Summary: Underneath Wrench's fun, lively persona, was a man deeply tormented by his mysterious past, the pain and remorse slowly ate away at him. Marcus realized his best friend was suffering, and vowed to do all he can to ease the pain. But Wrench doesn't make it easy. Will Marcus be able to save his friend? Or will the remnants of Wrench's dark past destroy him?





	Remnants of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one-shot I wrote just for fun. I put a lot of time into it, so I hope you guys enjoy it! It's in Marcus' point of view, so just a heads up.

**Marcus**

On a quiet Tuesday night at the hackerspace, Wrench asked me the most peculiar question.

“Hey M,” he tumbled onto the couch beside me. “How long, on average, does one stay in the slammer for arson?”

Averting my gaze from my laptop, I peered at him. “Why? Planning on making something go boom?”

“Nope, just curious.” As if forming an innocent smile, two blinking carot symbols brightened the goggles of his mask. “I know little of the laws of this land. It’s ignorance, I tell you! Ignorance is the reason I continuously find myself on the wrong side of the law, honest.”

“Right,” I chuckled, unconvinced. “Okay, let’s pretend you’re ‘just curious’. Typically, you’ll get about one to twenty years if no one dies in the fire. But if someone does, you can get twenty-five years to life. It’s hard to prove arson in a court of law though, because all accidental causes need to be ruled out and—”

“Too much info, dude. One more question though, if you don’t mind. I don’t mean to distract you from…” He glanced at my laptop screen. “Learning how to hack vending machines?”

“You ever just look at a vending machine and think to yourself, ‘damn, I wish I could stuff my face with everything in there?’”

“Uh-huh,” he nodded. “But then you look at your bank account and realize you’re broker than a tooth fairy at a meth house?”

“Exactly. But if I learned how to hack them, I can be broke as fuck and still stuff my face. Can you imagine how dope that would be?”

“Promise me you won’t go overboard on the vending machine looting, my friend. You gotta save some of San Francisco’s glorious snacks for the little people too, like me.”

“You kidding? I’m letting all of DedSec in on this hack, no vending machine will ever be safe again.”

“Yes!” Wrench sprang up with enthusiasm. “United, we shall raid the glass boxes, and pillage it’s loot! I call dibs on the spicy nachos.”

“Fuck yeah, man. You’re my bro, you get first dibs on everything.”

“Thanks M, you’re my bro too. I’ll share some of the nachos with you, promise.”

“Bro, just talking about this is making me hungry.” I closed my laptop. “I need to get something in my stomach.”

“One of these days, we should totally have a bro date, M.”

I furrowed my brows. “A bro date?”

“Yeah! When’s the last time we’ve hung out, just you and me— two bros on a broventure?”

“Not sure, but I’m down for a broventure. Only if it includes pepperbroni pizza somewhere in between.”

Wrench snickered. “How about bromen noodles instead?”

I started snickering too. “Or we could have dinner date at my place. I can make a mean brotato salad.”

“How about macabroni and cheese with a side of brotato fries and some broco-cola?”

“Haha damn! That was a good one.” I reached out to give him a fist bump. Our knuckles met half-way. “Alright, that’s enough brocabulary for one day, it’s starting to feel douchey. By the way, you said you had another question to ask me? Before we got distracted with the bad puns, and the vending machines?”

“Oh yeah, how many explosive devices do we have left?”

“Enough to level a building most likely. Why?”

“I need 'em. Where’s the stash?”

“Uh, okay. Check the lockers, there’s a duffle bag full of them.”

Wrench strolled over to the long row of steel lockers adjacent to the stairs, and began rummaging through them. After a long search, he eventually found the duffle bag. Instead of taking only a few explosive devices out and leaving the rest behind, he threw the entire stash over his shoulder. I grimaced. The fuck was he plotting to do with all that firepower?

“Good luck with the vending machine crack,” Wrench said, casually taking off for the exit. “See ya’ around—”

“Yo, hold up.” I skipped in front of him, blocking his path before the stairs. “Where are you going?”

“For a short walk around the city. I’m in the mood for some sightseeing. Never a bad time to take in some of San Francisco’s iconic sights and exotic culture, am I right?”

“Right, so let me get this straight. You’re going sightseeing with a duffle bag full of explosives?”

“Yep, that just about sums it up. Now if you’re done prying, I’ll be on my way.”

He attempted to slip past me, but I outstretched my arms, intercepting him yet again. “Whoa, what’s the rush? Hey, do you need some company? I can come with. Ain’t too much going on here anyhow.”

“I appreciate the offer, but this a journey I must embark on my own, no offense. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to post plenty of photos on the ScoutX app as I navigate the city, so you and the others can drool over my superior photography skills.”

“Look man, I know you’re up to something. Whatever you’re about to do, let me in on it. I can help—”

Wrench abruptly threw his sinewy arms around me, and squeezed, capturing me in his warm embrace. I tensed, caught off guard by the suddenness of the hug. He held me for a long while, tight and clinging, as if the thought of letting go was too much to bear. After some time, my muscles learned to relax. Lost in the moment, I gravitated close, erasing the distance between us. A musky scent rose from his skin, a combination of motor oil, sweat, and subtle woodsy extracts. I held his hard body against mine until he reluctantly pulled away.

His rough, calloused hand clenched the side of my neck gently. “Thanks M,” his voice lowered to a whisper. “For everything. You’re the bestest friend a guy could have.”

At that very moment, when the default X’s on his mask morphed into hearts as he stared at me, I knew something was… off. Dazed by his odd behavior, he swept past me, and made his departure.

So, that just happened. Weird, Wrench always tried so hard to hide the dazzling hearts from me. They would occasionally blink brightly on his goggles whenever he’d watch me from afar. Why was he watching me from afar in the first place? Hell if I know. But sometimes, I spotted his heart filled gaze from the corner of my eye. Before, I thought of it as a cute gesture, and left it at that. Now, I was beginning to question it.

The random, passionate hug, the heartfelt confession of gratitude he expressed toward me out of nowhere— he’s never been this forward emotionally. Wrench had walls, so much in fact that to others, he seemed distant, and completely closed off from the world. He’s learned to let down some of his defenses for me, but never to this extent. What could’ve happened to cause such a drastic change in his behavior so suddenly?

I had this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. What if something was wrong? He was lying about the whole ‘going on a walk’ thing, anyone with half a damn brain would know that. He’s never been a very good liar. He actually made for one of the worst.

Could it be the timing that was putting me on edge? Wrench did leave with a bag full of remote detonated explosives. And there was something eerie about the hug and the last words he said before he left. What if he wasn’t coming back? What was he planning to do? The unanswered questions gnawed at the back of my mind. It was hard to focus on anything else.

Maybe I wasn’t giving Wrench enough credit. He could handle himself, but I found myself pacing back and forth across the hackerspace anyway. I was anxious, and worried, running all the possible outcomes of the situation through my head. Chances are, he was plotting to blow some shit up. Not sure what else he could do with explosives. Who or what was the target though? Would innocent people get caught in the crossfire? Was he prepared for all contingencies? Probably not. Wrench was a loose cannon, through and through. Once a spontaneous, crazy idea popped in his head, he’d leap into action on impulse. I couldn’t put any amount of crazy past him.  

I wanted to respect his desire to be alone, really I did, but my stomach churned with dread. I chose to follow my gut— I had to find Wrench and make sure he was okay. So I tracked his phone. The moment I successfully pinpointed his location, I hustled out of the hackerspace and set off after him.

***

Following Wrench’s signal led me to a beach on the outskirts of the city. I ‘borrowed’ a silver Volvo on the way here, it definitely cut the travel time in half.

It was a cloudy, hazy night, the stars in the sky nonexistent. A massive blanket of fog hung heavily over the land, suffocating the surrounding palm trees. The thick, whitened haze loomed as far as I could see, swallowing every object in the distance. It was barren here, not a soul walked the misty boardwalk, or lingered among the shadowy shore. If it weren’t for the persistent squawking of seagulls overhead, the area would be dead silent.

The night’s ominous fog and darkness had me on edge. The thought of turning around crossed my mind, trying to find Wrench would be nearly impossible like this—

**_BOOM!_ **

An enormous ball of fire and dust emerged high in the distance, piercing through the fog, thick grey smoke billowing outwards into the cloudy sky. The earth quaked beneath my feet, the boisterous noise of the blast must had carried on for miles and miles. Wrench! He must had set off the explosives!

I sprinted toward the mass of blackened flames coating the sky, fearlessly navigating my way through the beach’s darkness, my shoes sinking into the dead-white sand with every step. The night’s air was uncomfortably humid, moisture clung to my clothes as I ran, the dampness enveloped my throat with every gasping breath I took.

Finally nearing the source of the explosion, the fog began to disperse. An old boathouse was consumed by raging flames, it’s wood crumbling beneath the intense heat. The windows had been completely blown out, and the roof was on the verge of collapsing, the entirety of it slowly being devoured by the hungry blaze.

I halted a safe distance from the fire. There was a lanky figure standing before it, calmly studying the flickering flames and burning cinders. The studded jacket, black hood and heavily tattooed skin was a clear giveaway that it was Wrench. I let out a sigh of relief. I was glad he was okay, but even still, he was a little too close to the fire for comfort. I cautiously approached him.

“Yo Wrench,” I called out to him. “What are you doing?”   

“What does it look like?” Wrench sounded different, quiet, deep and dull, his tone lacked vitality— the exact opposite of his normally high, animated and robotically synthesized voice. I glanced down, and spotted his leather mask in the palm of his hand. “I’m watching it all burn,” he continued. “Every last bit of it.”

I took his side. “Dude, who’s house is this?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes it matters! There could be people inside—”

“It’s empty, M.”

The annoying echo of police sirens broke out in the distance. “We gotta go, cops are coming to crash the party.”

“You should go then. I’m staying here—”

My stomach hardened. “What? Are you crazy?”

“I’ve done a lot of bad things, M. I deserve this.”

“Do you hear yourself right now?” I stepped in front of him, and gazed into his pale blue eyes. It only took one look to tell he was suffering, eyes glazed and bloodshot, swollen with sorrow. His vacant stare bore into me, cold and apathetic. If there were ever a spark of the fire in his eyes, it had been flushed out completely.

I had no idea what kind of demons he was facing that led him to believe he deserved punishment. Quite frankly, I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, he seemed perfectly fine earlier. Regardless, he had things all wrong. He deserved so much better than this. “You’ve made mistakes, Wrench. We all have at some point or another—”

“How do you know they were mistakes? I’m not who you think I am.”

“Bullshit, I know exactly who you are.” I laid a palm on his spiked shoulder. “You’re fun, clever and witty, crazy as fuck too— in the best way. But all of that is just on the surface, there’s a side of you underneath that’s a lot more thoughtful, and complex than most people realize. I can tell you’re hurting, and that’s okay. It’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to show your pain. You don’t have to hide it from me. Let me in man.”

He lowered his gaze to the feet. “You wouldn’t understand. Just go dude.”

Clearly, my words weren’t getting through to him. So, I took a chance, and I pulled him into my embrace. Surprisingly, he melted into my arms, leaning his weight on me and clutching my jacket as if to keep himself from falling, his chiseled face buried in my chest. I rubbed his back soothingly, and brushed my fingers through his unkempt blonde hair. “Nuh-uh, I ain’t leaving you,” I said gently. “Looks like we’re going to prison for arson together.”

Face still pressed against my chest, Wrench snorted, his weak laughter muffled. “I’m not gonna let you get arrested because of me, M. C’mon, let’s bail.”

I let out a long, drawn-out sigh of relief. “Damn, you don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I got enough shit on my record already. You have any idea how fast they’d give a brother a life sentence?” I attempted to distance myself from him, but his grip remained tight on my jacket. “Uh, Wrench?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and pulled away. “Sorry, kinda got lost in the moment there.”

***

Dodging the cops was a breeze due to the thick fog surrounding the beach. Thanks to the low visibility, we managed to slip away to the getaway car undetected. Wrench suggested we chill out at his garage instead of going back to the hackerspace. I happily complied without question, I doubted anything interesting was going on at the hackerspace anyway. I haven’t been to the garage in forever, I actually missed the cruddy place.

Wrench was quiet most of the drive. Remarkably, he didn’t care to shove his mask back over his face. Instead, he simply placed it on his lap, and stared blankly at it in quiet contemplation. I decided against trying to start up a conversation, maybe he needed time to himself to think things through. Hopefully he’d snap back to his old self soon.

It wasn’t a long drive to the garage, there wasn’t much traffic to compete with at such late hours. I nosed the Volvo into an empty space on the curb a short distance from our destination, and killed the engine.

I peered at Wrench. Despite the long strands of hair blocking his face, his unnatural silence served as a good enough hint that he was still in a funk. “Yo, you good?”

He secured his mask back over his face. “I’m doing just fucking peachy,” he said sarcastically, slipping out of the car and stepping onto the concrete sidewalk. He slammed the car door behind him, and forged ahead without me.

“Wait up.” I swiftly exited the vehicle, and was welcomed by the night’s warm, gentle breeze. I jogged to his side. “Damn, it was just a question, dude.”

“Congratulations, I think that tops it as the stupidest question you’ve ever asked me. You deserve an award, or a dunce cap at least.”

“Granted, it was a stupid question, but a question still. You don’t have to be all passive-aggressive and shit. If you’re mad at me about something, just say it.”

“I told you I wanted to be alone, but you followed me anyway.” He gazed at me. “Just couldn’t stay away, could you?”

“Nope, every moment away from you was too much to bear,” I teased.

He coughed awkwardly. “Stalker. But maybe it was for the best. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be rotting behind bars somewhere.”

“I thought that was part of your plan?”

“Yeah, it was. I wanted to atone for the fuck ups I made in the past. But I guess I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“You gonna tell me where all this is coming from? What are these ‘fuck ups’ you keep referring to?”

“It’s a long list, M.”

I frowned. Didn’t seem like he planned on opening up about it anytime soon.

We made a turn onto the garage’s driveway. There was the usual mass of homeless stragglers huddled near the entrance. They seemed to be worse off than I remembered, their clothes a tattered mess, and skin hidden behind layers of muck and grime. Their bodies were fragile, their faces so sunken in, the outline of their skulls could be seen under dirty, bruised skin. I swallowed deeply, it was hard to watch.

Wrench usually took it upon himself to feed them, but it seemed like he’s been taking time off from the job, probably too wrapped up in his own problems to worry about anyone else’s. Me on the other hand— my conscience couldn’t handle turning a blind to them like they didn’t exist. I tugged my wallet from my jean pocket, and started throwing bills at them like I was at a strip club. The grimy faces of the less fortunate brightened in response to my generosity, their toothless smiles were the highlight of my night.

“Now that’s how you make it rain, M,” Wrench nodded in approval as he remotely opened the garage door with a touch of his phone. Slowly, the entrance began to roll up. Impatient as always, Wrench ducked, and slipped through the door before it was halfway open.

“Take care of yourselves, alright?” I waved good-bye to the stragglers, and joined Wrench inside the garage. It was just as messy as I remembered. The concrete, gravelly floors were stained with muddy tire tracks. There were power tools and numerous boxes filled with random, handcrafted gadgets thrown carelessly about the space. The place reeked of motor oil and gas. Not that I minded, I spent so much time with Wrench that I got used to the smell.

Wrench strolled over the workbench in the corner of the space. It was cluttered with partially made drones, RV devices, and beer bottles. “And to think,” he said, “earlier you were worried about affording cheap snacks from vending machines.”

Beside his workbench was a comfy looking, gray sectional couch. It was brand new, the sale tag still attached to the arm rest. It was about time he bought new furniture, the last couch he had in here was damaged beyond repair, full of holes and tears from God knows where. I plopped down onto the cushions, sinking into the softness. Yep, this was definitely an upgrade from the one before it.

“How much money did you give those bums?” Wrench asked.

“Like fifty bucks,” I shrugged my shoulders. “I couldn’t just walk past them like they weren’t starving or anything.”

“There’s food banks all over the city, if they wanted food, they can get it. It’s the crack, man.” He shook his head. “Crack can be a nasty thing, dude.”

“What?” My voice lowered to a whisper. “T-they’re on crack?”

“Yep. There’s a reason I stopped sharing my minuscule amount of wealth with the poor bastards. I was just feeding their addiction.”

“Shit,” my stomach dropped. “That was my last fifty dollars—”

“Relax, you didn’t know any better.” Wrench swept two beer bottles off the table and handed me one. “Here, drink this. It might make you feel like less of an idiot.” He teased.

“Fuck you,” I grinned, and untwisted the cap. We chugged our drinks down at the same time, savoring the strong, bitter taste. Damn, was it refreshing. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a drink.

“I’m just kidding, M. You’re the smartest person I know. But you’re also a saint, far too kind for this shithole of a world we live in. People are bound to take advantage of that.”

I feigned a smile. “A blessing and a curse.”

“Yeah.” Wrench collapsed onto the couch beside me. “So, you wanna watch a movie or something?”

I glared at him. “Are we really gonna pretend like what happened on the beach never happened?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see the big deal.”

“It is a big deal. Why are you going around setting shit on fire?”

“I don’t go around setting shit on fire like a nutjob, okay? There’s a reason I blew up that house specifically.”

“Well? Why’d you do it?”

“If you must know, M, my parents lived out their short, miserable lives there. They were shitty people, and watching the only thing they’ve ever owned go up in flames— it felt good. I needed closure. End of story.”

“Where are they now, man?”

“Dead.”

“Oh.” A heavy silence settled over us. Well, this was awkward. I swallowed deeply, unsure of what to say.

“It wasn’t the first fire I started there,” he continued. “Before, it was just a mistake. I’ve been tinkering with electronics since I was sixteen, and let me tell ya’, it’s crazy how the tiniest spark can ignite into a flame. That’s how I got the cringe-worthy burn mark you know and love. Boring right? Usually I try to convince people that it’s a battle scar I earned in a fight to the death with an evil, fire breathing Tidis bot, but it’s a hit or miss.”

“Actually, I think the burn makes you look like a real bad ass. I can dig it.”

“Thanks, at least you can tolerate it. Most people can’t.”

“Then most people suck.”

“Yeah, they do. I’d argue everyone sucks except us. But yeah, accidently almost burning the house down when I was a kid ruined my life. My parents never treated me the same after that. Being a stupid, love deprived brat that I was, I started doing stupid things, rebelling against authority, hurting people, breaking laws and pushing boundaries just for the fuck of it. Looking back on it now…” He sighed, sinking back into the cushions. “I have so many regrets. Was any of it worth it?”

“You can’t keep living in the past, Wrench. What’s done is done.”

“Easy for you to say. I thought getting thrown behind bars would help me sleep better at night, but nope, not today. Thanks for taking a royal dump on my plans, dude.”

“Good, I’m glad I did.” I gave him a playful nudge. “Doing time won’t change shit. I can tell you personally that it’s a waste of time and potential. You know what you need? Better coping mechanisms.”

“You make everything sound so simple, M.”

“Because most of the time, it is. You don’t always have to overcomplicate things.”

“I overcomplicate things because life is, in its very essence, pretty fucking complicated, don’t you think?”

“It can be, if you focus too much on the existential bullshit. Look man, all you can do from here on out is make sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes you made in the past. You already took the first step to becoming a better person already— it all starts with self-reflection.”

Wrench shot up from the couch with a sudden burst of energy. “That’s the fucking problem, M,” he began pacing about the garage. “I’ve been doing so much self-reflection that it’s driving me insane. And then it’s the existential bullshit you mentioned— why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Why the fuck do we waste the time going through the boring, everyday notions of life in the first place? As DedSec, we risk everything trying to make the world a better place, but in the grand scheme of things, none of it fucking matters. We’re all gonna die in the end anyway.”

“Thinking like that is a very slippery slope,” I warned. “Shake that shit off, try thinking more positive. Make the change, you’ll be happier that way.”

Wrench abruptly stopped pacing. “Honestly…” He unfastened his mask from his face once again, and studied it quietly for a moment. “I could change myself every day, M. And I still wouldn’t like who I am. So what does it matter? Why do I even waste the effort wearing this thing?”

“Wrench—”

He turned, and flung his prized possession across the garage. **_Crack!_** The mask collided with the concrete wall and tumbled to the floor. My eyes widened. Did he seriously just do that? The memory of the time I risked my ass to get his mask back from the FBI flashed through my mind.

“What the fuck, man?” I darted after his mask, and scooped it off the floor. The goggles were cracked, the damaged LED lights inside blinked erratically. “You broke it.”

Wrench merely shrugged his shoulders, and slumped onto the couch. Instead of giving him his mask back, I set it gently aside on the workbench, out of harm’s way.

“Wrench…” I knelt before him, and took his calloused hands into mine. “Look at me.”

Slowly, his eyes gravitated to me. Maybe now was my chance to figure out what was really going on. When the mask came off, his sarcasm, wit and lively attitude was whisked away with it. The old Wrench everyone knew and loved had faded away, and a different side of him emerged.

Rarely did I ever get the luxury of meeting this side of him. He was like a turtle without his shell, soft and vulnerable.

“Tell me what’s the matter with you,” I begged. “Is it regret making you act this way, or something more? Are you depressed? Is that what this is?”

“I’d like to think of it as more of an existential crisis,” Wrench muttered. “But maybe it’s more. The sadness and regret— I tried to ignore it, I tried to pretend it wasn’t there. But it just builds on top of itself, pulling me further and further down. And everyone else is just swimming along on the surface, while I’m sinking. Have you ever felt anything like that before?”

“No,” I frowned. “I can’t say that I have.”

“Figures, there isn’t much that can get you down, M.” Wrench’s fingers intertwined with mine. His thumb stroked the back of my hand with surprising gentleness. I wondered if he was fully aware of what he was doing, his gaze on me blank and unfocused. He appeared to be thinking intently, too immersed in his own thoughts to realize his actions.  

The side of Wrench sitting before me, who absent-mindedly massaged my skin tenderly— he felt real. Despite all of his intricate problems, and the cryptic complexity of his thoughts and feelings, I felt closer to him than ever before. I adored this side of him just as much as the other. It was amusing in a way, how his mask worked as a trigger for the opposing sides. But Wrench always had a flair for the dramatic, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It made things interesting.

Why did he make such an effort to hide his emotions from me? I wondered, was every smile he made in the past false? Was his laughter forced? Was it all just a happy guise, to smuggle and bury the sadness clutching his heart? Maybe he had grown tired of keeping up the façade, his pale blue eyes dull and weary. If so, I didn’t blame him, it had to be mentally and physically exhausting to continuously hide the remorse tugging at him, weighing him down. It was a miracle he hadn’t drowned yet.

He was in a dark place. I wanted— I needed to keep his head above water somehow, but I wasn’t sure if words could make any difference at this point. So I reached out to him, slow and cautiously, providing my wounded friend more than enough time to reject my advance. But he didn’t. Instead, he inched closer, leaning his weight on me, my arm locked around his narrow waist.

I didn’t understand what he was going through, and I wasn’t aware of the numerous shitty things that happened in his life. If he was planning on disclosing it to me, he would have done so by now. Although patience had never been my forte, I didn’t mind waiting for him. It was safer that way, I didn’t want to risk pushing him away.

Considering our closeness now, nuzzled in one another’s arms, there was no way I was gonna jeopardize it by prying for answers. I enjoyed the warmth, the feeling of his broad chest rising and falling rhythmically with every breath, and the comforting sensation of his fingers lightly stroking the base of my neck.

“What are we doing, M?” Wrench asked, his head rested on my shoulder.

“I think we’re cuddling, man,” I murmured.

“Right, so this is actually happening? This isn’t a figment of my imagination?”

“Nope.”

“So I’m not having the same slightly arousing, mushy as fuck dream again?”

I smiled. “You’ve dreamt about this before?”

“What— cuddling with you? I’ve dreamt about that, and tons of more sentimental bullshit. Lame, right? The real thing is surprisingly a bit better than the dreams though.”

“Just a bit?”

“Okay, it’s a lot fucking better.”

I grinned sheepishly. “Thought so.”

I leaned back, sinking into the couch cushions. Wrench laid his head on my chest, quietly listening to the calm tempo of my heartbeat. As I laid there, vulnerable, with my best friend in my arms, a peculiar pang invaded my stomach. In the pit of my gut, where it was usually empty and barren, emerged a fluttering sensation. Could that be… butterflies?

Wrench wasn’t the only one who was lonely. I had my fair share of lonely nights at the hackerspace, working tirelessly for a cause bigger than my wants and needs. It would had been nice to have a companion, someone to hold and lean on when the going got tough, but getting wrapped up in a relationship would only prove to be a distraction. Too much was at stake, I had the greater good to think about.

But Wrench and I saw the world through the same eyes. We shared the same ambitions, the same drive to stir shit up, awaken the sheep and set our society back on course. We’d tear the world apart and put the pieces back together one by one if we had to.

Maybe Wrench wouldn’t be a distraction. Or maybe, he was the type of distraction I needed, one that would be worth it in the end. Our drive to change the world fed off one another, like gasoline fueling a fire, the flame of our passion never-ending.

“Never figured you for the cuddling type, dude,” Wrench said.

“You kidding?” I asked. “I got a lot of love to give, man.”

“Sounds like something a manwhore would say.” He glanced at me quizzically. “For disclaimer purposes— you aren’t one of those, are you?”

“Nah, I’ve been on too many walks of shame, after far too many mornings of waking up in random places with strange people. It’s safe to say, I got the manwhore phase all out of my system. I mean, it was fun at first, but after a while I felt…”

“Disgusting? Used? Godless?”

“I was gonna say exhausting,” I said with a grin. “But yeah.”

“Sorry, maybe that was a bit much.” The somber expression on his face finally cracked, and a smirk played on his thin lips. “I used to lead a life like that too. You come to realize that your body is worth more than being repeatedly used and discarded like trash. Sometimes it’s better to be alone.”  

“Yeah, that’s why I put my vile, unholy ways behind me, and settled for enjoying my own company. It does get lonely though.”

Wrench’s head rose from my chest. He gravitated close, and gazed into my eyes, his warm breath on my neck. “You know the best thing about loneliness, M?” He asked, his lips brushed over my neck lightly.

His boldness caused a shiver to run down my spine. Whew, it was getting hot up in here. “Uh… honestly, at this moment in time, I can’t really comprehend the word ‘loneliness’—”

He planted a kiss on the nape of my neck, the hot, delicate touch of his lips against my skin halted my thoughts in its tracks, and melted my worries away. Instinctively, I tilted my head, allowing him more access. He caressed my neck for some time, his tongue swirled over my flesh in tortuously slow, circular motions.

A man could only take so much teasing, however. I captured his strong chin in my grasp, and forced him to look at me, putting an end to the tantalizing tongue massage. Now that my neck was no longer being ravaged, it was my turn to make a move. I gradually leaned forward, my lips nearing his.

My stomach quaked with anticipation. Today has been full of unexpected turns, depressing thoughts, and the general craziness that came with the DedSec lifestyle, but this very moment of intimacy took the cake for being the very best part of it all.

“No,” Wrench abruptly pulled away. “We shouldn’t do this, M.”

My stomach dropped, every ounce of my anticipation faded away, my hopes crushed, my dreams of ever finding love completely destroyed. Alright, maybe that was a little dramatic, but the rejection still hurt. “What’s wrong? You can’t just leave a brother hanging like that.”

He stood, and tugged his phone from his jacket pocket. “The best thing about loneliness is no one can hurt you.”

“That’s cool and all, but I won’t hurt you.”

“Not yet you haven’t.” He pointed his phone at the garage door. It began to open. “Sorry M, but you should go. No hard feelings?”

I rose to my feet, and faced him. I quietly studied him for a moment. He wouldn’t look at me, his soft, blue stare was fixed on the concrete floor. He still looked just as sad and defeated as earlier, shoulders slumped, and chin lowered to his chest. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone,” I stated. “After everything you confided in me, I think you need company.”

“I don’t need anymore of your pity, okay? There’s nothing you can do or say to help me. Kudos for trying, but you’re just wasting your time.”

I grimaced. “Is that what you think this is? Some kind of pity party?”

“Yeah, it is.” He glared at me. “As a matter of fact, I know exactly what you’re up to dude. I’m emotionally weak and vulnerable right now, and you’re so trying to take advantage of me.”

I let out a stiff laugh. “Really? Now you’re being delusional.”

“Fuck you, man. I am not delusional.”

“I’m pretty sure you were the one who started feeling me up first. You do remember violating my neck with your tongue, don’t you?”

“You liked it. My tongue works magic. You were practically swooning, M.”

Heat rose to my cheeks. “Bullshit, I was not swooning.”

Wrench inched closer, studying me. “Holy shit, are you blushing right now?”

“N-no,” I muttered, my chest caving in from embarrassment. “I don’t appreciate this violation of personal space—”

“That’s adorable, dude. You’re like a cute little chocolate cupcake with red frosting on top.”

I was tempted to laugh, but my frustration and crippling embarrassment helped me choke it down. “Fuck that, you do not get to call me a cupcake. And I was not swooning over you. Never have, and I never will.”

“Whatever, you keep telling yourself that. But I’m not blind, you liked the tongue action. Admit it.”

“Okay, so what if I did like it?” I wrinkled my nose in protest. “That’s beside the point. I’m sorry you interpreted me genuinely caring about you as pity. I know I can’t fully understand how you feel, but I do know you’re hurting. I want to be here for you, not out of pity, but because you matter, and you’re important to me. I’d do anything to ease your pain, you could vent your problems to me day after day, and I’d listen to them for rest of my life if I had to. You’re not alone Wrench, despite what you might think. But you will be, if you keep pushing everyone away.”

I turned for the garage door. Wrench gripped my shoulder, stopping my advance. “Marcus…” He said softly, his arms locked around my waist from behind. “Don’t be mad. I’m sorry.”

“It’s cool,” I grumbled. Reluctantly, I shifted from his warm embrace. “It’s all good if you wanna be alone. Feel better soon, alright?”

It was hard to walk away from the one person I always wanted to be around, but I had to. That’s what he wanted, and I had to respect his wishes. Trying to change his mind was pointless, he was more stubborn than ever tonight. Maybe it was for the best, some distance and time to think might do him some good. That’s what I had to keep telling myself, to ward off the voice in the back of my mind yelling at me to go back to him.

I managed to walk away from him, and I didn’t look back. Hopefully, I didn’t regret it.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you guys think? :D Leave a comment if you enjoyed the story, and don't forget to leave kudos! Cliffhangers can be tough, so I might make a second chapter to this if you guys are curious of what happens next. Let me know, it all depends on the feedback this story gets.  
> I'm taking requests for future one-shots. If there's any character pairings or scenarios you'd like me to write about, leave a comment or shoot me a message, I'd like to have some idea of what you guys like to read, instead of writing complete randomness lol. Thanks again for reading!


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